NOTES/NEWS
Team Target at Homestead: Team Target has claimed six wins (CART: Jimmy Vasser- 1996; IndyCar: Scott Dixon- 2003, 2008; Wheldon- 2006, 2007; Dario Franchitti- 2009), four poles (CART: 1997; IndyCar: 2007, 2008, 2009), 15 top-five and 20 top-10 finishes, leading 555 laps along the way.
Championship Fights: Of Chip Ganassi Racing Teams, Inc. 11 championships (CART- 4, IndyCar-3, GRAND-AM-4), nine have been decided in the final race of the season, proving that the teams are historically no strangers to performance under pressure.
Testing: Target Chip Ganassi Racing drivers Franchitti and Dixon tested in preparation for Saturday night’s season finale at Homestead’s 1.5 mile oval on Monday Sept. 27.
Podium Love: In the last seven starts, Target Chip Ganassi Racing drivers have not finished off the podium at Homestead-Miami Speedway, claiming 11 podiums all together since the first Indy car race at Homestead in 1996.
Streak: Target Chip Ganassi Racing has won the last four races at Homestead (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009), claiming the last three consecutive poles (2007, 2008, 2009).
Did you Know? Since the 2007 season, current Team Target drivers Franchitti and Dixon are the only two drivers to win the IndyCar Series championship (Franchitti-2007, 2009; Dixon-2008).
Love Turning Left: Of Target Chip Ganassi Racing’s 39 wins in the IZOD IndyCar Series, 27 have come on ovals (68%).
Mile and a Half Magic: Target Chip Ganassi Racing has accumulated 17 wins (Chicagoland: 2006, 2010; Homestead: 1996, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009; Kansas: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010; Kentucky: 2008; Motegi: 2002, 2009; Texas: 2002, 2008) 15 poles and 35 podiums at 1.5-mile tracks (Chicagoland, Homestead, Kansas, Kentucky, Motegi and Texas) since 1996.
Dario Franchitti and the No. 10 Target Team
Dario at Homestead: Franchitti returns to Homestead as the reigning racewinner. In six starts he has earned one win (2009), two top-five and four top-10 finishes, with 25 laps led.
Home-Stretch Streak: With his second-place finish at Motegi, Franchitti extends his streak of top-five finishes to eight (two wins, two runner-up finishes, three third-place finishes and a fifth) since his 18th-place finish at Iowa on June 20.
Closing the Gap: In the last five IZOD IndyCar Series races Franchitti has outscored championship leader Will Power 205 points to 167 points, moving within just 12 points of the top spot entering Homestead. Franchitti’s 12-point deficit is the fourth closest title chase in the past five years heading into the final race.
A.J Foyt Oval Championship: Franchitti clinched the inaugural A.J. Foyt Oval Championship Trophy with his runner-up finish in the Japan Indy 300 at Motegi. He posted two oval victories (Indianapolis, Chicagoland), had a 4.8 average finish in the seven oval races completed on the year, and edged out Penske driver Helio Castroneves and Target teammate Dixon to win the award.
Laps with a Legend: Indianapolis 500 Winner Dario Franchitti got to drive in the path of his hero on Sept. 21 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Franchitti drove the 1965 Lotus of Indianapolis 500 Winner and fellow Scot Jim Clark. The Lotus was restored last year in Indianapolis and driven by only one other person before Franchitti—fellow Scotsman Jackie Stewart.
Indianapolis Motor Speedway: Franchitti recently had the opportunity to present the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS Indianapolis 500 Pace Car No. 1 on the “Yard of Bricks” to a lucky sweepstakes winner while at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He worked with IMS promoting the recent opening of ticket sales for the Centennial running of the 2011 Indianapolis 500.
Points: With the runner-up finish at Motegi, Franchitti remains second in the championship with 575 points, gaining five points on leader Power (just 12 points out of the top spot).
Motegi Recap: Franchitti lined-up fourth on the grid and passed his way into second on lap 123 (where he would eventually finish), one spot ahead of point leader Power at the end of the 200-lap race.
Scott Dixon and the No. 9 Target Team
History at Homestead: In seven starts at Homestead, Dixon has two victories (2003, 2008), one pole (2008), five top-five and five top-10 finishes, leading 208 laps along the way.
Return to the Site: Dixon claimed his first career IndyCar Series win and second career open wheel win at Homestead in the season opener of the 2003 season, when he led 53 laps en route to the victory over Gil de Ferran.
All-Time Lap Leader: Dixon sits third all-time in laps led (208) at Homestead (Sam Hornish Jr.: 461, Dan Wheldon: 368).
Did you Know? Dixon competed in and won his age bracket in a Half-ironman competition (1.2-mile, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run) in Miami in 2005.
Points: After finishing sixth at Motegi, Dixon fell one position to fourth in the championship with 497 points, 90 points out of the top spot, mathematically eliminating him from the title hunt.
Motegi Recap: Dixon started from the 11th position and ran inside the top-10 for the majority of the event. He made his way up to as high as fifth on lap 104, before eventually finishing sixth.